Rock Island plans extra patrol to watch for distracted drivers

To drive home the point that distracted driving is dangerous, area police officers planned to have some extra eyes on the roadways, checking for violators.

On Thursday, April 17, 2014 the Rock Island Police Department began a series of patrol assignments that focus on distracted driving. A spokesperson from the department said it was in effort of “reducing traffic injuries and improving traffic safety upon our roadways.”

April 2014 was declared as “National Distracted Driving Awareness Month” by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that 421,000 people were injured in crashes involving a distracted driver.